Toby Price leads Dakar Rally with two stages to go

The Hunter-raised Price finishing third on Stage 12 behind Chile's Jose Florimo and fellow Aussie Daniel Sanders, but it was enough to take him to the overall lead 28 second ahead of American Skyler Howes and his two minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Argentinian Kevin Benavides.

Looking forward to the penultimate stage, Price said he needed to stay on two wheels and stay healthy and try to push hard for a good time on Stage 13.

Price had gone into Stage 12, known as the Empty Quarter, in second place 28 seconds behind Howes and emerged from the "sand and a lot of nothing" 28 seconds in front of the Husqvarna rider.

"The Empty Quarter has delivered what they said it was going to do. There was a lot of sand and a lot of nothing out here. All in all, it's been a good day. I think the stage has been good for us.

"I was just trying to keep a good smooth consistent pace and now it's just two days to go, so there's not long.

"I think that trying to have a strategy for the race at this point in time is completely out of the window. I've just got to stay on two wheels and stay healthy.

"Tomorrow, I'll try and push really hard, because on the last day it's a reverse grid.

"We need to try and see if we can make some really good time tomorrow, but then again you don't want to push too crazily and risk an injury or being out of the race completely this close to the finishing line.

"But other than that, the body feels good, the bike feels good. It's been a long two weeks."

It was another excellent day for Sanders who climbed to seventh overall after back-to-back second placings.

He is now 20m03s behind Price.